View from the Crow's Nest wrote:

 
Thanks, View.....

This is a great idea.  Should someone bring over the questions from April's post/group discussion?

LuvSeason18 wrote:

This is a great idea.  Should someone bring over the questions from April's post/group discussion?

I can do that Luv...

april6263 wrote:

JetmamaDiDi wrote:

View from the Crow's Nest wrote:

 
Thanks, View.....

 
Thanks View....and to start us off.....my friend thought when she was a child that if you were good, nothing bad would happen....which as she became older made her question why things were happening....and I can see how that could cause frustration and even anger ....kind of like....what did I do that was so bad, ya know

 
Thanks for starting this off, April, View, CEK, Luv!

I think it is quite natural to think, as a child, that if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you.  This is what punishment or consequences should teach.  It is also illustrative of what the Bible says (paraphrasing) When I was a child I spake as a child but now as an adult I've put off foolish things.  In other words, we mustcome to accept what we face in terms of hardship, loss, challenges, etc.--and "what happens to us."  What children also need to learn as they mature is that many "things" can be beyond our control...beyond human control really.  We can choose not to reciprocate if someone hits us with a fist, but rather "turn the other cheek" and try to resolve the situation with communication--the more adult way to deal with someone else's action.  However, when someone gets a catastrophic illness,, ,such as cancer...especially early in life....we must conclude that it has nothing to do with our behavior....at least I don't think I've heard or read that many (or most) cancers are preventable!  My father would have described the latter situation as a part of the natural order of things; in other words, we don't cause these  things through our actions.   As humans we can try to do things that are good and right--and we should-- but many (maybe even most) things that happen to us are out of our control.  This is where faith can help us through the difficulties and challenges we face.  I don't want to get too far into the weeds here, but faith vcan help us wade through the weeds, help answer some of our questions, and help us come to grips with the outcome.  We don't really have to know why something happened so much as we need to figure out how to come to accept these things and make peace with ourselves because it is very human to want to either blame ourselves or perhaps perhaps fix blame on others for neglect or wrong doing or whatever it may be.   We have to learn to find peace in whatever our situation may be, to accept what we face, and move forward, knowing we have a purpose in life--call it maybe a signature or a legacy--and finding what our legacy can be that will make life fulfilling to ourselves while serving others is one way to find the peace we seek.

OK...I think I've said enough for the initial post!  Hope it makes sense.

LuvSeason18 wrote:

What are some beliefs that you held as a child that turned out not to be true?

LuvI really didn't hold this as a belief, but as a child, I did sometimes think that if I did something really bad, God was going to "Zap" me.


How do the misconceptions we hold as children often shape our lives???

Luv[b]I still struggle with some of the misconceptions that formed in my childhood.  While my mind and "mature"  knowledge knows better, those childhood issues have shaped me into the person I am.  For good or bad. LOL

Jet: [b]There was a time that I am pretty sure I thought I would get "zapped" by God (but first by my parents!) but I'm not sure how much that really stayed with me or became a part of who I became as an adult.  No doubt it may have made me think twice about doing things I knew were wrong


How can the recognition that this life will have loss, pain, and trouble prepare us to face these challenging times??

LuvI still struggle with this, so I have no real answer.

Jet:  My experience has been that as life goes on, I have learned to realize that we can't control much of what happens to us and those around us; "whatever will be will be" in so many instances.  I think it has become easier to face my own mortality...nto that I'm ready to go just yet (unless the Man upstairs has other plans!


What are some of the consequences if we deny or ignore the reality of pain in this life?????

LuvPeople wouldn't take chances to better themselves or their lives.  I think the fear of pain would take a hold of them and that they would shut out not only that reality but also the reality of all of the good that life can bring.  Bottom line, they really wouldn't experience the fullness, happiness and joy of life, but instead have the fearfulness of life...all in the name of trying to avoid "pain".

Jet:  My first thoughts went to some of the symptoms of PTSD.....alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, denial in general, unhappiness, feelings of hopelessness, etc.  Any traumatic experience, which would include pain, physical loss of something, loss of a loved one, fear, etc. may lead to PTSD symptoms.


 

Last edited by JetmamaDiDi (9/05/2017 9:58 pm)